CHENNAI: Job opportunities in tourism, hospitality, information technology, healthcare and tailoring sectors will open up for candidates hailing from backward classes thanks to a proposal by the Tamil Nadu government to launch a free training scheme for them.

The scheme which aims to empower SC, ST and SC candidates who have embraced Christianity, will be comprehensive in tune with needs of the globalised market, sources in the Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation (TAHDCO) told TOI. The scheme is also envisaged to assist the institutions working for developing the skills and capabilities of these aspirants for performing jobs in private companies and total family income not exceeding two lakh per annum will be considered for the scheme, the sources said. About 30 % of the number sanctioned for training shall be earmarked for girl students and in addition, 16% allocation should be provided for Arunthathiyars, a dalit group.

The government will cover the entire training cost including expenditure on study materials and public comprehensive in tune with emerging trends of employment in this era of globalisation and liberalization, sector.

Only candidates belonging to SC/ST having the cost of CDs containing the recorded teaching by professional faculty on the relevant subjects besides the examination fee. Stipend will be paid by the TAHDCO for maintenance of students, the sources said adding, the selected candidates will be eligible for a monthly stipend of 500 in Chennai district and 400 in other districts. The state government has proposed to train 500 candidates in cutting and tailoring and the course duration is of 12 months. Another 500 candidates will be trained in computer hardware and networking. After having tie-up with various reputed companies 500 candidates will be trained to work in BPO call centres.

About 900 candidates will be trained in CAD, civil/mechanical/electrical/electronic foundation course, while 200 will be trained in travel, tourism and air ticketing course. The selected institutes should be willing to mobilise their own resources for smooth conduct of the approved programme. They shall be duty bound to ensure that neither the training programme nor the payment of stipend to the enrolled candidates suffers due to delay, if any, in release of funds.

Funds will be released to the institutes by two equal installments. The first installment (50%) shall be released once the list of selected students/candidates to be trained is furnished by the institute on commencement of training to the TAHDCO along with the date of commencement of training.

The remaining installment shall be released only on successful completion of the training course, submission of list of students / candidates and their result and outcome or placement status.

The scheme is also envisaged to assist institutions that work to develop skills and capabilities of students aspiring for jobs in private companies.

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TIRUCHY:Dalits from E Pudhur here submitted a petition to the districtrevenue officer (DRO) on Monday alleging that Ramesh, the accountantof Rajathi Ammal—wife of DMK chief M Karunanidhi, had demolished theirhouses and usurped their land.

Ramesh had allegedly pulled down the houses, in which they had beenresiding for more than 20 years. According to the petition, 31families lived in Rajiv Gandhi Nagar of E Pudhur (survey no 158/12)and had been paying house tax at the Tiruchy Corporation since1993-94. The residents had been given power supply, drinking water,electoral identity cards as well as ration cards.

However, on January 14, 2008, Ramesh, along with Thambi Raja, arealtor from Karaikudi, came to the area and asked the residents tovacate, claiming that they had bought the land. They then went aheadwith a demolition drive after flexing their political clout.

Despite complaints, officials and local politicians sat on the issue."No one came forward to help us, as the issue involved affluent peopleat the top level of the State," the petition said.

Later speaking to the reporters, Nirmala Devi, who led the residents,said, "They razed all our houses in an hour and the area remainsvacant till date."

"We had approached then district revenue officer, the Srirangamtahsildar, the revenue inspector and the village administrativeofficer. However, no one came to our rescue, and we found that theytoo were working hand in glove with those private parties backed bypolitical bigwigs," she said.

"We have all the documents to support our claim over the houses," theresidents said in unison.

DRO K Petchiammal forwarded the petition to the City Commissioner ofPolice for further action.

Quashing a decision by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), theDelhi High Court on Monday ruled that migrant SC and ST candidatescannot avail of reservation benefits in jobs advertised by thegovernment.

According to the verdict delivered by a division bench of ChiefJustice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, candidates who acquireSC/ST certificates in Delhi by virtue of a caste documents held bytheir parents in another state cannot — as a matter of right — claimreservation in jobs being given by the Delhi government.

"The parents of the respondents may belong to castes notified in termsof Scheduled Caste Order or Scheduled Tribe Order in a particularstate, but... they cannot avail of the benefits in Delhi," the courtheld.

The order adds that the candidate may not be entitled to reservationprivileges even if he has a SC/ST certificate issued by the Delhigovernment on the basis of papers possessed by his parents in adifferent state. While the person may seek reservation benefits inCentral government jobs or use the certificate for other purposes,such kind of a certificate cannot be used for getting employment on apriority basis, it said.

The court has further held that no candidate can avail job reservationbenefits solely on the nomenclature of the caste, because while onecaste in a state may qualify as Scheduled Caste (SC) or ScheduledTribe (ST), it may not essentially be listed in the same category inanother.

The Delhi government and the DSSSB had moved the High Court in anappeal against a CAT order in August last year, whereby the tribunal —adjudicating a bunch of 19 petitions — had asked the government toconsider the claims of applicants for jobs in the MunicipalCorporation of Delhi.

Zubeda Begum, appearing for the government, challenged this by citinga few Supreme Court verdicts. Nawal Kishore Jha, counsel for the MCD,

also contended that it was for the government to frame policies, andthe civic agency was

The Delhi High Court today ruled that candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes in one state cannot take the benefit of reservation in another state.

"It is vivid that Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes in one state cannot get the benefit in another state," a bench of Chief Justice, Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said.

The court set aside the judgement of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) asking MCD to consider the candidature of SC/ST candidates of other states in recruitment of teachers for the schools run by the civic agency.

The High Court said the SC/ST candidates, who hail from the national capital territory and have been issued caste certificates here, can avail benefit of quota in jobs.

"The parents of respondents (canditates) may belong to the castes of ..... And those castes may have been notified in terms of Scheduled Caste Order or Scheduled Tribe Order issued in terms of Clause (1) of Article 341 or Article 342 of the Constitution in a particular state but the respondents who have obtained the certificates in Delhi on the basis of the certificates of their parents issued by other states and have migrated to Delhi, cannot avail the benefit," it said.

Citing various judgements of the Supreme Court, the bench quashed the judgement of the CAT, saying the view expressed by the tribunal that the candidates belong to SC/ST in Delhi because of the notification was not in consonance with various case laws.

MCD had in 2008 issued an advertisement for filling up posts of assistant teachers in schools and did not consider the candidature of aspiring SC/ST teachers from other states.

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The observations of the Supreme Court in the recent case of BhagwanDass Vs. State (NCT of Delhi) - (2011) 6 SCC 396 – on the subject of'honour killings' are serious and noteworthy. Observing that 'honourkillings' have become commonplace in many parts of the country,particularly in Haryana, western UP and Rajasthan, the Court remarkedthat often young couples who fall in love have to seek shelter in thepolice lines or protection homes, to avoid the wrath of kangaroocourts.

The Judgment delivered by Justice Markandey Katju, on behalf of thebench comprising of himself and Justice G S Misra, aptly reflects thecircumstances prevalent in the society today. The Court observed:

"Many people feel that they are dishonoured by the behavior of theyoung man/woman, who is related to them or belonging to their castebecause he/she is marrying against their wish or having an affair withsomeone, and hence they take the law into their own hands and kill orphysically assault such person or commit some other atrocities onthem."

Making clear that such acts are wholly illegal, the Court threw lighton the limits and boundaries within which a person can act in suchcircumstances:

"If someone is not happy with the behavior of his daughter or otherperson, who is his relation or of his caste, the maximum he can do isto cut off social relations with him/her, but he cannot take the lawinto his own hands by committing violence or giving threats ofviolence."

Reiterating that there is nothing 'honourable' in 'honour killings',the Court harshly observed that "they are nothing but barbaric andbrutal murders by bigoted persons with feudal minds."

The Court, while observing that "It is time to stamp out thesebarbaric, feudal practices which are a slur on our nation", declaredthat:

"In our opinion honour killings, for whatever reason, come within thecategory of the rarest of rare cases deserving death punishment."

"This is necessary as a deterrent for such outrageous, uncivilizedbehavior. All persons who are planning to perpetrate 'honour' killingsshould know that the gallows await them."

The Court has directed that a copy of the Judgment be sent to theRegistrars General/Registrars of all the High Courts, directing themto circulate the same to all the Judges of the High Courts and to allthe Sessions Judges and Additional Sessions Judges. The Court hasfurther directed that the copies of the judgment be sent to ChiefSecretaries, Home Secretaries, DGPs, directing them to circulate thesame to all SSPs and SPs.

In view of the severe stand taken by the Supreme Court, both in thenature of the observations made, and the directions given for widecirculation of the judgment, one could expect harsher sentences forpeople convicted of 'honour killings' in the future. However, it isalso time for the Government to enact a suitable legislation, tospecifically tackle this menace, which is fast becoming a serioussocial concern.

Basti, Uttar Pradesh: In another setback for the Mayawati government, and adding to the long list of rape cases, a Dalit woman was raped and stabbed barely 50 metres from the DIG's residence in the Basti area of Uttar Pradesh.

After raping her, the three men repeatedly stabbed her on the terrace of a government quarter in the district. One of the main accused Ajay Chaudhary is the driver of a senior government officer, who stays in one of the quarters.

The woman is critical, and is being treated in the district hospital. Police have lodged a case of rape.

"Poonam mentioned that somebody misbehaved with her. There are a few blade marks also on her. A case of rape has been registered and we have constituted teams to look for the accused," said Rajesh Modak, SP, Basti.

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Alwar, July 22: A 17-year-old dalit girl was gangraped and brutallymurdered in Sadar police station area of Alwar district on Wednesdaynight. The girl was stragulated by at least four men who have beenarrested. The accused had dumped her body on railway tracks aftermurder.

Police said the victim, a resident of Jatiyana village, had gone outwith her cousin in the evening and was returning home when she wasintercepted by a person wearing a 'burqa' (veil). "The woman told herthat she was scared of something and requested her to accompany her toher house. She told the girl that the house was nearby," a policeofficer said.

The officer said that the victim sent her cousin home and accompaniedthe woman. "During the interrogation of the four men, who have beenarrested for the crime, it came up that one of them had pretended tobe a woman. Soon after the girl started accompanying him, three otherscame there," said the officer.

He added that the girl soon realized what was happening and tried toattract the attention of others by crying for help, but they gaggedher with a piece of cloth.

They took the girl to a forest area and raped her one by one. "Fearingthat the girl would tell someone about the incident, they strangulatedher and then dumped her body on the railway tracks," the officeradded.

He said that they threw the body on the tracks thinking that the deathwould be considered an accident after it would be run over by a train.However, some animals dragged the girl's body from the tracks.

Meanwhile, the family members of the girl launched a search when shedid not return home and informed the police after they could not findher.

"The body was traced about five hours after the murder. Somepassers-by informed us late Wednesday night following which a team wasrushed there," said the officer.

The police have arrested four men – Iqbal, Mushtaq, Foji and Mussaddi.Interrogation of them is going on.Tension prevailed in the village after the news of girl's death reached them.

Khap, based on a socially relevant issue of honour killings, does notboast of any known names apart from Om Puri. The film will have todepend on its merits and word of mouth publicity to make a mark at thebox-office.Khap Star cast

Khap is a contemporary tale of traditional massacre erupting in theheartland of central India where certain villages still follow cruelage-old customs. This is where a story of passion, dishonour anddeceit unfolds; where the sweet innocence of youth is throttled byuncompromising beliefs.

Hyderabad, July 25: About 1,600 cases of atrocities against Schedules Castes and Tribes have been pending for several months in the police stations across the state. Sarvajana Satta, an affiliate of Lok Satta party representing weaker sections, complained to the SC/ST Commission to resolve the pending cases.

In a representation to the SC/ST Commission here on Saturday, a delegation of Sarvajana Satta comprising Eeda Chennayya, Srikant Chintala, Hanumantha Rao and PV Rao submitted a memorandum to officer of special duty at the commission R Subba Rao.

According to the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989, the officials should initiate action against the accused within a month or two. The delegation expressed unhappiness over the delay in appointing chairperson and other members of the Commission despite the term of previous members ending in October last year. As a result, many cases have been lying unresolved, the memo said.

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Rajan alleged that the main accused, who was close to former minister K N Nehru, got bail on the ninth day of the murder of Purushothaman at Somarasampettai on July 29, 2007.

DSP Anbunesan, who investigated the case facilitated the release on bail by creating false statements of the wife of Purushothaman, the complainant, and other witnesses, Rajan alleged.

Even after the case was transferred to the CB-CID on the orders of the Madras High court, the omissions and commissions made in the investigation by Anbunesan continued, the petitioner charged.

Rajan said the bail was cancelled following the intervention of the high court and the trial was on in the Tiruchi district and sessions court.

The petitioner alleged that during the previous DMK regime political intervention was rampant in police functioning. "There was no progress in the criminal case in the last four years due to vested interests. Now with change of political climate and government could bring progress." He pleaded that the court should direct the Home Secretary and ADGP to hand over the investigation to a competent police officer it and stay the trial.

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Chandigarh, Jul 22 (PTI) The National Commission for Scheduled Castes today dubbed upcoming Amitabh Bachan- starrer film "Aarkashan" as "anti-Dalit" and said it will not allow it to hit the screens till it is satisfied after watching it. "Aarakshan is anti-Dalit and against the depressed class and the portrayal is unfair," Commission chairman P L Punia told reporters here. He said the Commission had written to the Film Censor Board that it wanted to watch this film before it is released next month. "The release date of the film had been deferred as the Commission wanted to watch it with the censor board," he said. Punia said a meeting of the Commission with the censor board is fixed for July 25 on the issue of "Aarakshan". Taking a dig at the film's director Parkash Jha, Punia said "Jha says he will not show the movie to the Commission but we have not even asked him as the matter is between us and the Censor Board." When his attention was drawn towards the Censor Board's certificate to the film, he said that "the Commission had enough powers to intervene in the matter." He said the movie is "anti-Dalit" and the Commission will not allow it to hit the screen till it is satisfied after watching it with the Censor Board.

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JAIPUR: In a case where men in khakhi showed the way to goons, four policemen, including a SHO, who had been put under protective custody after a Dalit youth died while being interrogated by them at Guda Engla police station of Pali district recently, have fled.

The district police's "best team" of officials is after them since they were reported missing from police lines on July 14, but the accused policemen have managed to remain elusive.

The four policemen were among the six who had been suspended and put under protective custody at police lines after they allegedly detained one Rahul Kumar (20). Rahul died allegedly in police custody.

"Due to the public anger and murder case lodged against the six policemen, we had ordered an enquiry into the incident. If the charge is proved, we would have arrested them. To keep them under watch, they had been placed under protective custody," SP, Pali, Ajay Pal said.

He added the four of them are missing since the day after they were detained on July 13.

Chief minister Ashok Gehlot had ordered an administrative inquiry as well as a magisterial inquiry into the incident. He also ordered immediate suspension of SHO Bharat Dewasi and five other policemen. A compensation of Rs 7 lakh, an LIG category house for the family and a government job to one of the family members of the deceased have also been announced.

Hundreds of people gathered at the district collectorate and demanded action against the staff of the Gudha Engla police station and demanded compensation for the family.

"We have put together our best team of police officials to trace the four men. We hope to nab them soon," the officer said.

A senior officer has been suspended due to the negligence. "The responsibility of keeping watch on the six policemen was on the DySP Budhadev. He has been suspended for negligence," the officer added.

It is believed the district police tried its best to cover up the report of the policemen's escape, but as it came out on Friday, angering local people.

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SHRAVASTI: A dalit woman was allegedly raped by a youth of the same village, when she was returning home.

Acting on the victim's complaint, police have registered the case and arrested the accused and have sent the woman for medical examination.

Sunita Devi(21), a resident of Dargah police station went to Chichri Bazar to get herself photographed. When she was returning, the accused Rajkumar of the same village dragged her near a canal and outraged her modesty. The victim reached her house and narrated the incident to her husband. The husband Ramdev took her to Sonwa police station.

The police have registered the case of rape against Rajkumar under SC/ST act and sent the victim to community health centre Bhinga for medical examination. The accused Rajkumar has been arrested, police said.

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New Delhi: The Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes PL Punia criticised Prakash Jha's forthcoming film 'Aarakshan' and called it 'anti-dalit'. Filmmaker Prakash Jha has defended his soon to be released film which stars Amitabh Bachchan.

He had asked the Film Censor Board for permission to watch the film before its release. He will meet the board on Monday to discuss the issue.

Jha said, "I will not attribute my comments to PL Punia because he has not seen the movie yet. But the Censor Board has seen the movie and they do not feel that the movie was anti-dalit. They should trust my track record of doing films with sensitivity. These are perceptions which I am sure will be cleared once the movie is out."

'Aarakshan' was issued a U/A certificate without a single cut by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), according to megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who plays a pivotal role in the film.

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Research has cast fresh light on the massive and increasingly alarmingphenomenon of sex selection in IndiaFoeticide posterA 'save the girl child' poster at a Delhi hospital. The political andsocial repercussions of sex selection remain to be seen. Photograph:Pedro Ugarte/AFP/Getty Images

Half a million girls a year are being aborted in India, equal to thetotal number of girls born in the UK. The scale of sex selection inAsia is extraordinary, yet it has not attracted the attention itdeserves in the west. This is the age of "missing women" - anestimated 30 to 70 million of them. The number of girls born hasdropped significantly because of sex selective abortions, and the seximbalance has been aggravated by higher mortality rates as boysreceive better care.

The very vagueness of the figures indicates how poorly understood thismassive phenomenon is – quite apart from the still limited analysis ofthe impact the resulting sex imbalance will have on the development ofcountries such as India and China. In May, there was widespreadconcern in India as the results of the 2011 census revealed a sharpdeterioration of the sex ratio. Many attributed the growing gap to apowerful lobby of doctors and commercial interests who sell ultrasoundmachines; both make profits from the illegal, multimillion dollar sexselection procedures.

An ultrasound scan costs the equivalent of £10, a small amountrelative to the cost of a dowry expected with a girl. Even for lesswell-off families, a sex-selective abortion may seem cost effective,according to a study by Sonia Bhalotra, from the Centre for Market andPublic Organisation (CMPO) at Bristol University, published in thesummer issue of its Research in Public Policy bulletin.

But what is particularly interesting about her analysis is that thepractice is more strongly established in the better off areas of Indiathan the poorer rural areas. This challenges assumptions that thepractice is driven by traditional customs. In fact, it is the wealthyand better educated who are most likely to choose sons, perhapsbecause they want to keep their families small. One of the richeststates in India is Punjab, where, in the 2001 census, there were 125boys per 100 girls in the nought to six age group. The predominantpattern is to use sex selection not for the first child but forsubsequent children; the ideal seems to be two sons and one daughter.

There is also evidence that high-caste Hindus are more likely to usethe practice than Muslims. Bhalotra suggests that cultural practices -parents live with their sons until death and it is the son who lightsthe funeral pyre - may be among the factors driving sex selection.

The economic boom in India is accelerating the trend of sex-selectiveabortion. This factor is combining with technological developments inultrasound that make scans more reliable earlier in pregnancy, and themachinery more mobile, increasing penetration across the country. Theresearch talks of an "intersection of recent economic, demographic andtechnological change with deep rooted social preference", which iscosting the lives of millions of girls.

There are no easy steps to stop the practice. Sex-selective abortionhas been illegal since 1994, but has little impact on the growingtrend. Proposals to ban ultrasound machines are unlikely to gathersubstantial support because the devices also play a positive role inpre-natal care.

Another study from the CMPO looked at differential forms of care forgirls and boys in India. Using the Indian Time Use Survey, they foundthat, on average, boys receive more parental time a day than girls –an extra 30 minutes , or 14%. The quality of childcare is also betterfor boys, who are more likely to be vaccinated and given vitaminsupplements, and are typically breastfed for longer. These inputs wereon average 10% higher for boys. The research concludes that suchdifferential care probably accounts for nearly a third of the highermortality rate for girls.

The research doesn't offer detailed analysis of the consequences ofthis gender imbalance, other than to suggest that a large number ofunmarried men is likely to lead to an increase in violence againstwomen. It will be another 15 years before we begin to see thepolitical and social impact of the missing women.